Bhubaneswar: The United States has issued a travel advisory for its citizens visiting India, urging them to exercise increased caution due to concerns over crime and terrorism. The advisory specifically flags certain states, including Odisha, as regions with heightened risk.

Reacting sharply to the advisory, Odisha Minister Krushna Chandra Patra defended the state’s law and order situation, calling Odisha a peaceful state. Speaking to media persons, the minister drew comparisons with incidents in the United States.

“Is there no disturbance in America? Riots happen there. Gun violence is a regular occurrence. Wasn’t there an attack on Trump? Wasn’t there an attack on the White House?” he remarked, questioning the basis of the advisory.

He further added, “Odisha is a peace-loving state. You won’t find an atmosphere like this anywhere else in the world. If any issues arise, we will handle them with a firm hand. Our government does not tolerate criminal activities at all, and strict action is being taken. People in Odisha are living peacefully.”

The U.S. government has specifically flagged parts of Central and Eastern India—stretching from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana to western West Bengal—as high-risk zones due to the presence of Maoist extremist groups (Naxalites). These groups, the advisory notes, are active in the southwestern regions of Odisha and other rural areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Bihar, where they have been known to carry out attacks targeting security personnel and government officials.